Consultation begins into proposed parking changes

A 12-week public consultation on Shropshire Council’s proposed new parking strategy has begun, and residents, visitors, businesses, town and parish councils and other organisations are being encouraged to have their say.

The parking strategy determines the way that the council manages and runs its car parks and on-street parking, including how and what it charges for parking. The current strategy was introduced in 2012 and needs to be replaced.

The council has carried out a detailed, evidence-based, review to inform the new draft strategy, and has put forward a number of proposals that will make parking arrangements – both in car parks on on-street – simpler, clearer and more consistent, as well as helping to reduce congestion and pollution in Shropshire’s market towns.

Any extra money generated from these new proposals would be reinvested in improvements to car parks and to the parking service, including the replacement of the existing payment machines to enable payment by card, contactless payments, and payment by mobile phone – along with improvements to car parks, including resurfacing and the widening of parking bays.

The consultation is broken down into four parts, as follows:

1. Proposals regarding ‘linear’ (set price per hour) parking; pricing bands; unrestricted parking; evening parking; loading bays; ‘pop and shop’ parking, and opening hours at Raven Meadows car park in Shrewsbury.

2. A new policy and tariff framework for weekly tickets, season tickets, residents’ off-street permits, and for coach and HGV parking.

3. Proposed changes to Shropshire’s Council’s on-street residents’ parking permit scheme.

4. Proposed changes to the car parking waiver system.

People can respond to all four parts, or just the ones that are of interest/relevance to them.

To take part in the consultation, go to shropshire.gov.uk/parking-consultation.

Printed copies of the consultation documents will shortly be available from Shropshire Council libraries and customer service points, and on request by calling 0345 678 9028.

The consultation runs until 17 October 2017.

Steve Davenport, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways and transport, said:

“I encourage everyone with an interest in parking to look at our draft proposals and let us know what they think.
“Understandably many people will focus on proposed changes to parking charges. However, the focus is very much on providing an improved parking service that makes use of the latest technology, is consistent across the county, makes it easier for people to understand how much it costs to park, and provides a variety of new ways to pay. The proposals will also help us to reduce congestion and pollution in our market towns.
“Though some charges may go up, in many cases parking will actually be cheaper. For example, if you park for fewer than five hours in Frankwell or Abbey Foregate in Shrewsbury you would be paying less, compared to the current charges.
“I therefore urge people to read our proposals so that they understand what is proposed and why, and then let us know what they think.”

All responses to the consultation will be carefully considered before the final proposals are presented to Shropshire Council’s Cabinet in autumn 2017.

The consultation was agreed by Shropshire Council’s Cabinet at its meeting on 12 July 2017. To see the Cabinet report and appendices, click here and go to item 8.

Subject to approval of any proposals, a further formal traffic regulation order consultation and approval will be required before they are implemented.